Sustainable Building
Learn how to save time, money, and waste by building green
Latest Articles On Sustainable Building
In-depth advice and info on building in an eco-friendly way
March 28th Mosaics in the Earthship Kitchen
This week we did the mosaics on the back wall of the kitchen. Our Underhill freind Blake managed to source some second hand mosaics, and we used them to do the splashback.
How I built my eco-home for $7,000
The joy you get from building yourself, scrounging hidden treasures and learning new skills is something I relish every moment I spend in my tiny home.
Where to find recycled materials for your projects
Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start finding second-hand materials for recycled building projects. Nowadays there are a growing number of shops and picking yards springing up where you can browse through recyled lumber, finishings, and antiques. These are a great place to start but you can
How to build a living roof from recycled material
When building my latest cottage that I live in I was quoted $7,000 for the roof by a supplier (which is incidentally what it eventually cost me for the entire cottage – see my article on my $7,000 home). So I decided to do it myself. The idea was to
Recycle/Upcycle – Outdoor farm table
Whilst recycling an old oak from James my neighbor next door, I came across a single slab of live edge tree trunk from the lumber mill down the valley.
New entertainment area at Underhill Cottage
Sometimes one cottage isn’t spacious enough for a larger group. Underhill cottage has been expanded with two 10-seat tables and vine covered arbor.
The oak and vine earthship
Some like minded friends and fellow enthusiasts on earth ships have decided to build an earth ship on the farm. It will be dug into the slope of the land and face north with lots of windows for the winter sun, and be shaded by the poplar forest in summer.
Building Hobbit Hollow
After nearly 7 months of hard work Hobbit Hollow is complete. Our original idea to construct a Hobbit inspired riverside cottage has become a reality! Although it came with some interesting engineering challenges and many hours of hard work. With the exception of concrete for the foundation and some lumber
New location cleared for the next cottage: Willow Cottage
The ground has been cleared for the next cottage – Willow Cottage at the far end of the farm, close to where the two streams come together. the view from the stream looking up to where the cottage will be built. Alien trees have been uprooted (Port Jackson and black
The cottages are ready for summer!
Underhill Farmhouse and Rivendell cottage are now both ready for summer with each cottage now equipped with a private pool their own unique chill-out spot under the trees next to the river. Below are the benches around the old oak tree in the nook of Underhill Farmhouse overlooking the river.